Apple Store closures, more

Welcome to 95Mac Daily for Friday, April 10th, 2026. I'm your host, Chance Miller. We're sponsored this week by Backblaze. Leading off today, it's been a big week for iPhone fold rumors, but a reputable leaker has now shared new details on the iPhone 18 Pro, specifically related to two potential design changes. The first rumor addresses changes to the iPhone 18 Pro's dynamic island. Reporting from several sources has pointed to Apple moving some Face ID components underneath the iPhone 18 Pro display, which will reportedly enable a dynamic island that's about 35% smaller than the design on the iPhone 17 Pro. More recent rumors, however, have said that while that's Apple's goal, the company is also considering reusing the same design as last year's iPhone. This rumor says that current feedback inside Apple's supply chain suggests that Apple is still A-B testing scenarios, one option that retains the existing design of the screen, and another that features a quote unquote mini dynamic island, where Face ID components are positioned beneath the display. So essentially it sounds like Apple still hasn't made a decision about what to do with the dynamic island design on the iPhone 18 Pro. The second rumor relates to the back design of the camera bar on the iPhone 18 Pro. It says that the rectangular plateaued design will be unchanged from the 17 Pro phones, but the back will feature minor adjustments to the body materials and design. This refers to modifications that will provide a more uniform design across the aluminum and glass cutout. The iPhone 17 Pro has a two tone design rather than a single seamless look, and it sounds like that's what Apple is looking to address with the iPhone 18 Pro. Ahead of the iPhone 18 Pro announcement and release in September, we expect more rumors to emerge as Apple finalizes all of its plans. We are sponsored this week by Backblaze. If you are building apps, editing video, or managing client work on your Mac, your files change constantly. iCloud keeps everything in sync across your devices, which is great for access. Time Machine gives you a local backup, but what Backblaze does is adds an automatic off site backup with version history so you can restore earlier versions or recover everything after a drive failure. You install it once and it just works in the background. For anyone who depends on their Mac every day, this type of setup makes sense. Start your free trial at backblaze.com. 9 to 5 Mac and use code 9 to 5 daily for 20% off. My thanks to Backblaze for their support of the show. Next up today, a new report from analysts at IDC shows that while the overall PC market posted a slight year over year decline in the first quarter, Apple saw one of the strongest gains in the market. According to the report, Apple shipped 6.2 million Macs in the first quarter of 2026, representing a 9.1% year over year increase and increasing Apple's market share to 9.5% up from 8.9% a year earlier. The biggest jump came from ASUS, which grew 17.1% year over year and to a 7.2% market share. The overall top 5 rankings include Lenovo at number 1 with 16.5 million shipments, HP at number 2 with 12.1 million, Dell at number 3 with 10.3, Apple at number 4 with 6.2, and ASUS at 4.8 in number 5. In total, the broader industry was up 2.5% year over year, again headlined by that growth from Apple and ASUS and drug down by declines from HP and others. Looking ahead to the rest of the year, IDC says that the strength of every PC vendor's supply chain and ability to access core components such as memory will be tested. PC vendors who have best secured access to memory and with a device portfolio capable of addressing all price tiers of the market will have stronger performance throughout the rest of the year thanks to their better ability to weather the ongoing supply shortages and overall industry trends. Rounding out today, Apple has announced that it is closing 3 retail stores in the United States permanently, including locations in Connecticut, Maryland, and California. In Maryland, Apple is closing the Towson Town Center location. In Escondido, California, Apple is closing Apple North County. And in Connecticut, Apple is closing the Apple Trumble location. In a statement first given to MacRumors, Apple attributed these closures to the departure of several other retailers and the declining conditions at the malls in which the aforementioned stores are located. The company said, quote, At Apple, we are constantly striving to deliver exceptional service and great experiences for our customers. As we continue investing to expand and enhance our retail stores and offerings worldwide, we remain deliberate about evaluating our existing locations to ensure that we can meet our customers' needs in the best way. End quote. Trumble Mall, for example, recently defaulted on over $150 million in loans amid ongoing struggles and business closures. While multiple businesses at Towson Town Center just outside of Baltimore closed earlier this year, including Tommy Bahama, Banana Republic, and more. The three stores are set to close in June. Apple says that employees at the Trumble and Escondido stores will be able to continue their roles at nearby Apple retail stores. Apple Towson Town Center employees, meanwhile, will be eligible to apply for open roles at Apple in accordance with the Collective Bargaining Agreement. Apple Towson Town Center became the first Apple Store location to unionize in June of 2022. The Apple Store Union is part of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, which said that it is outraged by Apple's decision to close this store. Ultimately, Apple does continue to invest in its retail stores despite these closures. The company has opened 11 new stores around the world in the past year, as well as upgraded and replaced 14 other locations. And in the United States specifically, Apple has opened two new stores and upgraded eight others over the past year. That ups up another episode and another week of 9 to 5 Mac Daily. As always, if you like the show, it is very helpful to us if you head to Apple Podcasts and leave a rating and a review. You can find an ad-free version of the show at 9to5mac.com slash join for $5 a month or $50 a year. You can find all of the latest Apple news on 9to5mac.com, follow along with me on threads at Chance H. Miller, and we'll be back on Monday for a new week of Apple News.